Working With HIV Clinics to Adopt Addiction Treatments Using Implementation Facilitation

ART receipt will be defined as at least 180 days of three concurrent antiretroviral agents in the 6-month interval based on prescriptions in the electronic medical record.

ART receipt will be defined as at least 180 days of three concurrent antiretroviral agents in the 6-month interval based on prescriptions in the electronic medical record.

Viral suppression, will be defined as HIV RNA <200 copies/mL at last test closest to the time of data extraction, consistent with Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines. Although current limits of detection are lower, this cutoff allows for low-level "blips" that have no clinical significance.

Viral suppression, will be defined as HIV RNA <200 copies/mL at last test closest to the time of data extraction, consistent with Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) guidelines. Although current limits of detection are lower, this cutoff allows for low-level "blips" that have no clinical significance.

The Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index (VACS Index) creates a score by summing pre-assigned points for age, routinely monitored indicators of HIV disease (CD4 count and HIV-1 RNA), and general indicators of organ system injury including hemoglobin, platelets, aspartate and alanine transaminase (AST and ALT), creatinine, and viral hepatitis C infection (HCV). This score is weighted to indicate increasing risk of all-cause mortality with increasing score. The score can be used to estimate risk of all-cause mortality using a conversion factor. The VACS Index will be evaluated based on most recent values at the time of data extraction. VACS Index score will be treated as a continuous variable. VACS Index: minimum value: 0; maximum value: 164- a higher score means a worse outcome.

The Veterans Aging Cohort Study Index (VACS Index) creates a score by summing pre-assigned points for age, routinely monitored indicators of HIV disease (CD4 count and HIV-1 RNA), and general indicators of organ system injury including hemoglobin, platelets, aspartate and alanine transaminase (AST and ALT), creatinine, and viral hepatitis C infection (HCV). This score is weighted to indicate increasing risk of all-cause mortality with increasing score. The score can be used to estimate risk of all-cause mortality using a conversion factor. The VACS Index will be evaluated based on most recent values at the time of data extraction. VACS Index score will be treated as a continuous variable. VACS Index: minimum value: 0; maximum value: 164- a higher score means a worse outcome.

Retention in HIV care, per DHHS guidelines uses a 24-month measurement period. It is defined as at least one HIV medical care visit in each 6-month period, with a minimum of 60 days between the first medical visit in the prior 6-month period and the last medical visit in the subsequent 6-month period. This measure has good agreement with the Institute of Medicine indicator for retention in care and is an independent predictor of mortality. We will evaluate whether patients have had at least 1 visit in the 6-month period prior to time of data extraction.

Retention in HIV care, per DHHS guidelines uses a 24-month measurement period. It is defined as at least one HIV medical care visit in each 6-month period, with a minimum of 60 days between the first medical visit in the prior 6-month period and the last medical visit in the subsequent 6-month period. This measure has good agreement with the Institute of Medicine indicator for retention in care and is an independent predictor of mortality. We will evaluate whether patients have had at least 1 visit in the 6-month period prior to time of data extraction.

Investigators will use the ORCA to measure factors impacting the provision of addiction treatments. This 15-minute survey is based on the PARiHS framework and asks the respondent to rate local factors related to evidence, context and facilitation on a 5-point Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Facilitation questions will be omitted from the pre-implementation assessment since this part of the intervention and will not have taken place. The score has a range from 1 to 5 where a higher score indicates higher readiness.

Investigators will use the ORCA to measure factors impacting the provision of addiction treatments. This 15-minute survey is based on the PARiHS framework and asks the respondent to rate local factors related to evidence, context and facilitation on a 5-point Likert scale from strongly disagree to strongly agree. Facilitation questions will be omitted from the pre-implementation assessment since this part of the intervention and will not have taken place. The score has a range from 1 to 5 where a higher score indicates higher readiness.

Investigators will use change rulers, among appropriate providers, for each of the medications and counseling to assess readiness to provide each medication and counseling intervention. The change rulers will independently assess, on a 0-10 scale each provider's: 1) confidence to prescribe/provide the intervention, 2) readiness to prescribe/provide the intervention and 3) commitment to prescribe/provide the intervention. Presented is the score that indicates readiness to prescribe medication. The score has a range from 1 to 10 where a higher score indicates increased readiness.

Investigators will use change rulers, among appropriate providers, for each of the medications and counseling to assess readiness to provide each medication and counseling intervention.185 The change rulers will independently assess, on a 0-10 scale each provider's: 1) confidence to prescribe/provide the intervention, 2) readiness to prescribe/provide the intervention and 3) commitment to prescribe/provide the intervention. Presented is the score that indicates readiness to prescribe medication. The score has a range from 1 to 10 where a higher score indicates increased readiness.